Refrigerated structure with curved door



Dec. 19, 1950 K. A. WEBER 2,534,488

REFRIGERATED STRUCTURE WITH CURVED DOOR I Filed June 21, 1946 Pati *nted Dec. 19, 1950 z, ss4.4ae anr'maaaa'ran sranc'rcaa wrra crmven noon Karl A. Weber, Brentwood Heights, cum, as-

llgnor to Weber Showcase & Fixture 00., Inc., Los Angeles, Calif" a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, ll, Serial No; 878,499 4 Claims. (01. 02-89.)

The present invention relates to refrigerated structures and in particular to closure means therefor.

In grocery stores, markets and the like where frozen or refrigerated articles are sold, it is desirable that these articles be readily accessible. particularly to customers in the self-service type of store, without much effort on their part. Usually such articles are placed in a refrigerated cabinet which may be opened by customers, but oftentimes customers fail to close such cabinets and as a consequence there is a loss of refrigeration, loss in freshness of the refrigerated articles and increased likelihood of spoilage of the articles.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved refrigerated structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerated structure having a door which is semiautomaticaily returned to its closed position.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved novel transparent door in a refrigerator which cooperates with illuminating means thereon so as to make the illumination in the structure substantially independent of the position of the door.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective and partly in section of a refrigerated structure embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the refrigerant pipes in the structure of Figure l and the arrows shown therein represent the flow of refrigerant fluid.

Figure 4 shows a modified structure of the refrigerant pipes or coils positioned differently from their disposition in Figures 1 and 2.

The refrigerated structure having the general reference numeral ill formed by an outside encircling wall or shell member ii is preferably of sheet metal material. and is provided with a series of openings l2, l3 and I4, which are normally closed by the quarter-circular closure means IE, it and il, respectively.

Each of such closure means 15, i8 and i1 is mounted for sliding guiding movement in spaced guideways II on the structure ill, such spaced guideways l8 being formed by two spaced sheet metal members i9 and 20, which are fastened by conventional means at their upper ends to the structure outside frame member I i, and at :10 lower end to the interior sheet metal wall It is noted in Figure 1 that the guideways II and closure member I! are approximately quarter-circular and that they cooperate to provide approximately a semicircular figure. It is noted further that the guideways it are of limited thickness so as to engage only the opposite sliding edges of the particular closure member l5, it or H, as the case may be. In such case the guideways l8 produce substantially no interference to the transmission of light from the longitudinally extending illuminating means 22.

The illuminating means 22 may comprise a conventional fluorescent tube or conventional high vacuum showcase bulb supported, together with the cooperating light shade 23, and mounted on the structure It so as to illuminate the interior 24" of the structure.

Each one of the closure members i5, i6 and i1 is preferably transparent, being formed of glass of multiple layers so as to not only allow vision into the interior 24 when, for example, closure member or door I! is closed, but also to not interfere with the transmission of light from the illuminating means 22 to the interior It when the door I! is moved upwardly into its retracted open position in the guideways 18.

One particular feature of the present invention is that the door I! is easily moved from its closed to its opened position and vice versa, and

is mounted at the top of the refrigerated structure so as to minimize the loss of refrigeration when the door i5 is opened; that is, there is a tendency for the cool air to remain at the bottom of the interior 24 when the door I! is opened. Inasmuch as the door Iii is held by gravity forces acting thereon in the groove 25 in the upper front edge 26 of the cabinet, a fairly good heat seal is thus provided. Furthermore, the door I! is easily moved to its open position wherein gravity forces acting on elemental parts of the door I! are counterbalanced due to the fact that substantially equal areas of the door I! are on opposite sides'of the highest point of guideways it due to their particular curvature and association with door i5.

It is noted further that the door I! is moved semiautomatically to its closed position due to gravity forces acting thereon as it is moved a small distance from its open position, thereby assuring closure of the structure it and a good heat seal at the groove or channel 25.

It is noted further that the door it is quartercircular with its concave side facing downwardly and so arranged with respect to the guideways is that the door may be swung in a path about an axis passing substantially through the center of curvature of the substantially quarter-circular door.

It is noted further that the guideways II from their uppermost points to their rearwardmost points form a continuation of the arc formed by the quarter-circular door I! when it is in closed position, the door being so arranged on the structure that its curved surface faces concavely downwardly, and the guideways being curved concavely downwardly also within the region specified to allow the door to be maintained in either its open or closed position by gravity forces acting thereon.

It is clear that movement of the door I! downwardly in the direction of its closed position is limited due to engagement of the door II itself in the groove 25, while movement of the door in its upper direction is limited by engagement of the door handle 21 with the outside shell member H, or preferably a stop (not shown) may be mounted in the guideways is for engagement with the upper leading edge of the door member I! in Figure 1.

The interior sheet metal wall 2i is spaced from the exterior shell ll along substantially its entire length by the interposed insulating material 28, while the interior 24 of the cabinet bounded by the interior wall 2|, door l t and a small area of shell member H is subjected to a cold produced by refrigerant fluid circulating through the serially connected series of refrigerant pipes 20, 30 and II shown diagrammatically in Figure 3.

In Figure 2 it is noted that the series of pipes II are spaced from the interior wall 2| while in the modification in Figure 4 the corresponding series of pipes 3!- is mounted practically in abutment with the interior wall 2i. Inasmuch as the series 'of pipes 3| in Figure 2 is spaced from the wall 2|, it is desirable to mount a plate 32 in front of the series of pipes 3| to not only improve the appearance of the interior of the cabinet, but also to avoid direct manual contact with the refrigerant pipes 13!.

A shelf structure 33, 34, of conventional type, may be mounted in the interior 24 of the refrigerant structure.

In the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 a refrigerant coil 40 may be disposed, if desired, between, on the one hand, the curved guideway members I9, and, on the other hand, the back interior wall 2| of thstructure as shown in thedrawing.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a refrigerated storage structure including a heat insulated back wall, a sliding door arranged in said structure, said door being formed substantially in a quarter of an arc of a, circle, said door including a curved transparent window, a curved cooperating guide way in said structure extending generally downwardly toward said back wall within which said door may be moved and guided when said door is moved to retracted open position, said guide way being curved to form substantially quarter of an arc of a circle which is contiguous to and forms a continuation of the arc formed by said door when it is in closed position, refrigerant pipes housed within said structure immediately below said guideway, said guideway extending and being disposed between said back wall and said refrigerant pipes, a guard plate mounted adiacent said refrigerant pipes and being mounted in front of the same, said guard plate slop ng senerally downwardly and rearwardly in the direc-' tion of said guideway to guard one from touching said pipes and to obscure vision of the door when in open position for purposes of appearance, the door being so arranged on the structure that its curve faces concavely downwardly in all positions thereof and the guideway being curved concavely downwardly and rearwardly to thereby allow the door to be maintained in either its open or closed position, in a position of stable equilibrium solely by gravity forces acting thereon.

2. In combination, a refrigerated storage structure arranged with an opening, said storage structure having a rear heat insulated wall, a complete curved door arranged to close said opening with the door facing concavely downwardly, refrigerant pipes housed within said structure in front of said back wall, means mounted on said structure for swinging said door in a path about an axis passing substantially through the center of the curvature of said door to a position between said refrigerant pipes and said back wall, said swinging means including a guideway curved to form substantially a quarter of a circle which is contiguous to and forms a continuation of the are formed by said door when it is in closed position, said refrigerant pipes being mounted within said structure immediately below said guideway, a guard plate mounted in front of and adjacent said refrigerant pipes, said guard plate sloping generally downwardly and rearwardly in the direction of said guideway to guard one from touching said pipes and to obscure vision of the door when in open position for purposes of appearance, illuminating means mounted on and encased within said structure in front of said guard plate and above said guideway above the path of movement of said door, a curved transparent window in said door arranged to allow vision within said structure when said door is in closed position and to allow transmission of light from the illuminating means to the interior of said structure when the door is moved to its open position.

3. In combination, a refrigerated storage structure having a heat insulated back wall and a heat insulated front wall, said back and front wall delining a refrigerated storage space, a sliding door arranged in said structure, said door being formed substantially in a quarter of an arc of a circle, said door including a curved transparent window, a curved cooperating guideway in said structure extending generally downwardly and rearwardly in said structure within which said door may be moved and guided when said door is moved to retracted open position, said guideway being curved to form substantially a quarter of an arc of a circle which is contiguous to and forms a continuation of the are formed by said door when it is in its closed position, a first set of refrigerant pipes housed within said structure immediately below said guideway, said guideway extending through a space defined, on the one hand by said first set of refrigerant pipes, and on the other hand by said heat insulated back wall, a guard plate mounted adjacent said refrigerant pipes sloping generally rearwardly and downwardly in the direction of said guideway to guard one from touching said pipes and to obscure vision of the door when in open position for purposes of appearance, a second set of refrigerant pipes mounted in said back wall, a third set of refrigerant pipes mounted in said front wall, said first, second and third sets of pipes being connected for the flow of refrigerant therethrough, the door being so arranged on the structure that its curve faces concavely downwardly, and the guideway being curved concavely downwardly thereby to allow the door to be maintained in either its open or closed position in a condition of stable equilibrium solely by gravity forces acting thereon.

4. In combination, a refrigerated structure-arranged with an opening and including a front heat insulated wall and back heat insulated wall defining a storage space therebetween, a movable curved door arranged to close said opening with the door facing concavely downwardly, a first set of refrigerant pipes in said back wall, a second set of refrigerant pipes disposed in said front wall, said first and second sets of pipes beingconnected for the flow of refrigerant therethrough, means mounted on said structure for swinging said door in a path about an axis passing substantially through the center of curvature of said door and above said front and back walls,

said swinging means including a guideway curved to form substantially a quarter of a circle which is contiguous to and forms a continuation of the are formed by said door when it is in closed position, illuminating means mounted on and encased within said structure above the path of movement of said door, a curved transparent window in said door arranged to allow vision within said structure when said door is in closed position and to allow transmission of light from the illuminating means therethrough to the interior of said structure when the door is moved to its open position.

KARL A. WEBER.

REFERENCES The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 558,158 Chase Apr. 14, 1896 704,005 Deiter July 8, 1902 1,895,089 Snodgrass Jan, 24, 1933 2,257,247 Starr Sept. 30, 1941 2,362,095 Ressinger Nov. 7, 1944 

